65-year old bridge inspected

Two engineering representatives manned a Jon boat last summer and conducted what was termed a routine inspection of the span that connects Oconee and Pickens over the Seneca River arm of Lake Hartwell.  The bridge was built in 1958 and serves as a connector from Hartwell Village on the Oconee side to Dockside on the Clemson side.  From their report, they conducted a thorough examination of bridge, on the bridge, on its sides, and under the water – with an eye out for, among other things, cracks and corrosion. The inspection was done June 24 on a cloudy, 83-degree day and the results forwarded to the South Carolina DOT.  Among the findings:  the bridge railing “too short, substandard”.  Another was that the surface of the travel lanes does not require any change in the current speed limit.